Fidelity
by Kyria Greene
Summary: When there is no faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, why stay?
1. Chap 1

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter's world isn't mine.**

His uncle's open hand cracked against his face, the sound echoing through the kitchen. It hurt. Cheek aching, he blinked back tears, bowed his head and tried to keep all mutinous thoughts from appearing in his expression.

"I told you to have breakfast ready by 6:00 A.M., not 6:03 A.M."

Harry nodded and said, "I'm sorry Sir."

"Worthless boy," Vernon muttered and sat down to eat a mound of bacon and eggs. "If I'm late to work because of you, I'll take it out of your hide tonight."

Harry had not doubt his 'uncle' would do just that as he nodded again and said, "Yes, Sir."

Turning to the grease spattered stove, he grabbed the frying pan and poured the grease into a jar. Holding in a smirk, he put the grease inside the fridge. Vernon loved everything he ate to be fried in bacon grease. Harry, hoping the fat fuck would die of a bacon grease induced heart attack, indulged his uncle's preference every chance he got. Dumping the dirty pan a sink of soapy water, he began his morning ritual of scrubbing pans and wiping down counters. It was useless wiping down the stove, he had to fry another pound of bacon for Dudley in an hour.

Ever since he was introduced to the Wizarding World his life had taken on a disturbing pattern: winter terror at Hogwarts with a side of summer servitude and violence at the Dursley's. What a wonderful life he lived. And, according to Sirius' letters, he had to thank Dumbledore for his particular lot in life. He's the one who didn't give Sirius a trial in the past and currently wasn't advocating for a trial now. This led to Harry's current situation at his so-called-family's house.

Gritting his teeth, Harry tried to calm the anger that boiled under his skin. It wouldn't due to have a bout of accidental magic…it would only lead to more beatings.

###

"Professor Dumbledore wants to cast the Fidelius Charm tomorrow."

"I can cast it myself, Remus," Sirius replied dully. He watched his old 'friend' from the corner of his eye…Remus was unaware of the muggle sleeping pills he'd ground up and put in the whiskey. Sirius was pretty sure the whole bottle wouldn't kill him when diluted by a liter of cheap whiskey, but he hadn't really tested it before trying it. Here's to hoping werewolf stamina would kick-in. If not, Remus would be on to the 'next great adventure'.

Remus snorted blearily and downed another shot of firewhiskey. "Yeah. And be your own secret keeper. What if something happened to you here? No one would be able to find you. Think of what that'd do to Harry."

Grey eyes flashed as he gritted his teeth. Sirius could not believe his friend was lowering himself to guilting him about Harry. Remus never bothered with James' son before—and Sirius was sure he didn't give a flying fuck about Harry now. The only person Remus cared about was Dumbledore. Hell. He wouldn't be surprised to find out Remus was blowing the old codger under the headmaster's desk. Anything to repay the old goat-fucker for letting Remus into Hogwarts.

Like his mood, dark and dreary, the shadows seemed to seep forward from behind them. Sirius watched Remus shiver. It was impossible for a non-Black to be completely safe in the Black Family Home, and he was sure his 'friend' could feel the wards tasting him, testing him and finding him wanting. Trying to hide his smirk, he watched as Remus did another shot.

Sirius lifted his drink but, shot midway to his mouth, he paused. He scrutinized Remus as the man slumped forward, head thumping hard on the table as the werewolf passed out. Looked like the sleeping pills finally worked. Slowly, he put his shot down and smiled. Dumbledore had Sirius watched every minute of every day. It was either Remus or Tonks babysitting him to make sure he didn't do something that'd go against Dumble's plan…you know…for the 'greater good'.

Fuck the greater good and fuck Dumbledore.

"Harry is living with your sister, Lily. That bitch and her lard-ass husband are abusing him as I speak. I'm going to save him. I'm going to be the godfather you and James need me to be," Sirius said to empty air. He knew they'd approve of what he was about to do. Sirius had a plan. An Epic Plan. A plan to end all plans! And it all started tonight.

"Kreacher!"

A soft pop and his house elf stood before him.

"Is the ritual room ready?"

"Yes, master."

"Excellent. I'm going to raze the order to the ground, Kreacher. I'm going to bring glory to the Houses of Potter and Black. It's going to be bloody fantastic."

If Sirius had a mirror, he would have seen a silvery glow around his gray eyes. The fanatic gleam would have reminded him of his mother at her craziest and he might have taken a moment to rethink his Epic Plan. Lucky for the world, Sirius had no mirror.

Kreacher nodded, inspired to obey his Lord's order by Sirius' sudden resemblance to Mistress Walberga. "As Master requires."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The following story is based on situations and characters from the Harry Potter books which are created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No use other than entertainment is intended and no financial gain is being made. No trademark or copyright infringement is intended.

Harry felt like he was forgetting something important. It felt like his brain itched. It was the 4th night of summer holidays and he was locked in his room. Two days ago, he'd overcooked a roast and he hadn't been let out since. Two days of no water, no food and no bathroom. Peeing out the window was embarrassing, but what choice did he have? He was getting a horrible headache and he was pretty sure his stomach was going to eat itself if he didn't get something soon. It was going to be a long summer. Sighing, he tried to ignore the gurgling noise of his empty stomach when he heard someone throw the locks on his door.

With a squeak, the door opened and Harry's eyes widened in surprise. There stood a haughty looking man with shoulder length black hair and oddly glowing blue eyes. He gave Harry a smirk that'd put Malfoy's to shame and Harry wrestled with the odd idea that he KNEW this guy. Palming his wand, Harry let out a fierce growl…or as fierce as an almost 14 year old kid could…and said, "Who are you?"

The guy gave him a grin before saying, "The man you are looking at is Sirius Black."

Something inside Harry's mind popped. Things went white and memories came rushing forward. "Sirius? What? How? I forgot you. How could I forget you?"

"Well, it took a little work, but I managed to alter the Fidelius Charm so it would mask someone's identity." Sirius practically preened in front of his Godson before bowing with the flourish of an imaginary hat. Harry, having no idea how much finesse it took to manage such a thing just nodded. It was clear from his Godfather's putout look, that he had been expecting a more excited response. Shrugging, Sirius rolled his eyes. "A bit of applause might have been nice, but whatever. Right now, I need you to get your stuff and come with me. This is Stage One of The Epic Plan. And, we need to hurry up before Dumble's people catch us."

Harry didn't need to be told twice—he needed to get out of this hellhole. Dropping to his knees, he pried up the floor board and grabbed the invisibility cloak as well his book of photos. He bopped past his godfather and quietly ran down the dark stairs to the cupboard. Gesturing at the locks, he whispered, "Can you get these open?"

A silent spell from Sirius and Harry was dragging his trunk toward the front door. "Let' go!"

The grin on Sirius' face was infectious and Harry couldn't help grinning back. The pair scrambled down the front walk and across the street where they disappeared with a barely audible pop.

###

"Do I need to donate a bit of blood to prove it to you?" Sirius Black asked.

The goblin gave a creepy, tooth-filled grin before nodding. "Sir, you may try on the Black Family Head of House Ring. If you're still alive at the end of the process, I will of course accept you as Lord Black."

To the goblin's surprise, the possible Lord Black nodded in agreement. "Fine with me, Toe Bang. Get the ring!"

Toe Bang frowned when Harry let out a little snicker. He didn't know what the pale, skinny human was laughing about, but he was sure it was derogatory toward his name. God, he hated humans. There were over 30,542 words in the Goblin Language that specifically described how bad humans smelled. In Toe Bang's opinion, an additional 100,000 words would still be needed before he could come close to describing how bad that smell actually was. Not to mention, this Lord Black pretender was the smelliest he'd ever encountered. Still, he had a job to do and he would be professional about it.

With a grunt, he pulled open the side drawer of his desk and got the Black Family Ring from its place in his magically expanded files. He pushed the lid open and stared at the 7 carat black diamond that had been born of a meteoritic impact in South Africa. The founder of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black had started the tradition of naming his children after the stars because of the origins of this diamond. Shaking off thoughts of the stupid traditions of the family whose account he ran, he plopped the ring in front of the dark haired man in front of him. Without fanfare, the man put it on and began to glow silver. Toe Bang stared excitedly, hoping that he'd get to see another want-to-be Lord Black's head explode.

It didn't happen—it was just his luck that the smelliest of the possible Lord Blacks would be the actual Lord Black. With a glum continence, he growled out, "I suppose you'll want the locks changed and new keys to the Black Vaults?"

"Yes I would. In addition, I need to rent a ritual room that would allow me to blood adopt my soon-to-be son. If that's still all right with you, Harry?"

Potter bit his lip, and it looked as if the human was trying to hold in a smile. "Only if you're sure. I don't want you to…"

Lord Black cut him off. "Harry, I'm sure. It is Stage Two of The Epic Plan, remember?"

"Well, since you haven't explained it all to me yet, I don't know anything but the title."

Lord Black nodded and grinned. It was, in Toe Bang's opinion, a terrifying grin.

The Lord said, "Once we get to the ritual room, I'll sum it up."

"As you wish, Lord Black," Toe Bang interrupted. He didn't have the time or energy to listen to this drivel. "The charge for the ritual room is 300 galleons per hour. The total will be taken from your vaults before you leave tonight."

Toe Bang gestured for the pair to follow him and walked out the door of his office. With quick steps, they caught up to him as he led them through Gringotts' curving hallways to a double stone door. With a snap of his fingers, the door opened on its own.

"Your time begins now. When you are finished, call my name."

With that, the goblin turned and disappeared down the hall.

###

"Youth before beauty," Sirius said brushing his curling hair back from his face and gesturing for Harry to proceed him.

Harry tried not to roll his eyes too hard, he didn't want to sprain something after all. Sirius pulled the door shut behind him and nodded toward the concentric circles in the middle of the room. "First, I'm going cast the Fidelius Charm on your identity, all right?"

"What!?"

"Well, it occurred to me that, although it is Voldemort and Dumbledore having a pissing contest, you and I are the ones getting royally pissed on. Not to mention we're both getting fucked by the Wizarding World. Your parents were intelligent people who covered their bases. They made sure that Alice Long bottom, your godmother, and I had copies of their will. To keep me safe, it included the information that Pettigrew was the secret keeper and Dumbledore was the one who put up the Fidelius Charm on your parent's home." At this Sirius stopped talking for a moment. Face red, he fisted his hands as he tried to get control of his temper.

"Dumbledore knew?" Harry hissed. He bit his lip, trying to blink back tears. Why would the headmaster do that to Sirius?

Sirius nodded. "Dumbles has always known Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper. In addition, the will specified that you were to never be allowed to be alone with the Dursley's, let alone live with them. Dumbledore holds the three highest positions in magical Britain, and he used those positions to put you in an abusive situation. He now refuses to use his positions to help me get a trial and custody of you. Hiding our identities with the Fidelius is the only way I see around Dumbledore. First, I'll cast the Fidelius on your identity, allowing the whole concept of 'Harry Potter' to disappear from people's minds. Because you're only hiding your identity, when Gringotts tests your blood, you'll still show up as the rightful Potter Heir but NOT Harry Potter. When I blood adopt you, I'll emancipate you and that will allow you to access The Potter vaults as James and Lily wanted. If no one remembers us, no one can come after us. Think about it!"

Harry had froze at Sirius' ramble. A little shiver went through him as he considered his godfather's Epic Plan. It was horribly difficult to follow, and a bit crazy, but it just might work. Anger and desperation worked through him as he shoved his hand through is hair. Dumbledore had left him with muggles…muggles that didn't feed him and used and abused him. And how was it every time he went to Hogwarts, he ended up solving some horrible problem for Dumbledore only to be left for the summer with said abusive muggles? Terrified of what the next school year could bring, Harry shook his head and asked the first question that came to mind. "Are you sure the Fidelius will work?"

"Positive, I tried it on Lucius Malfoy first. Poor Sod got a cutting curse to the back from his own wife. Narcissa cleaved him in half and still doesn't know she killed her husband. Thinks he was an intruder trying to rob the manor."

"Who is Lucius Malfoy…"

"Oh, yeah. Lucius Malfoy is Lucius Malfoy."

Harry had another burst of white across his vision and suddenly, it all made sense. "Holy buggering hell. Sirius!"

Sirius nodded and gave his Godson a vicious grin. There was a gleam in his eyes that would have been off-putting if he'd been talking about anyone other than a vicious Death Eater.

"I know! Merlin's got nothing on me," he said buffing his nails on the satiny trim of his cloak. "Harry Potter will cease to exist and tada! No more Voldemort or Dumbledore trying to control your life…or end it as the case may be. Of course, no one but the two of us will ever know who you really are. Or were. What do you think, Pup? Ready to leave your problems behind and embrace a whole slew of shiny, new problems?"

Harry's forehead crinkled in concentration. It made sense in a convoluted way. No more Harry James Potter. No more people staring and asking to see his scar. No more insane expectations that he live up to some impossible legend. Looking up at his crazy godfather, a warm feeling burst through him. Sirius wanted to adopt him. He wanted to help him solve his problems. A feeling of hope pounded through Harry and suddenly he was grinning.

He wasn't alone anymore.

"So, what star do I get to be named after?"

"I was thinking Pax."

"What constellation is that from?"

"Well, it's from Star Wars. So, it isn't a real star."

"I'm not being named after a made-up star."

"Fine. How about Puppis Sirius Black?"

"No."

"Virgo?"

"Too close to Virgin."

"I call 'em how I see 'em."

The debate went on for quite awhile before they came down to Aries with the middle name of Sirius out of, of course, respect for his soon to be 'Pappy'."

"I'm not calling you Pappy."

"You know, I can make it an official decree as your Head of House and you'll be compelled to call me Pappy."

"You wouldn't do that to me."

Sirius gave an evil grin and Harry began to reconsider the whole Epic Plan when his godfather pointed his wand at him and began to chant.

Apparently, it was too late to reconsider.


	3. Chapter 3

The second part of the plan had Harry laid out naked in the very center of the concentric circles of the ritual room. There was a potion, blood and Sirius chanting. Again. An hour into the blood adoption ritual, a newly minted Aries Sirius Potter-Black was in a considerable amount of pain as the scar on his forehead burst open and a black, smoky wraith screamed its displeasure as it funneled toward the ceiling of the room and dissipated into nothingness.

This wasn't part of the standard adoption ritual. Blood, and what Sirius thought looked like some primordial ooze, flowed down Aries' face as his godson's eyes fluttered shut.

"What the bloody buggering fuck was that?" Sirius whispered as the ritual continued and he eyed his unconscious son's form. Clearly it was some sort of spirit. The idea that it was possibly part of Voldemort made him want to vomit. "Merlin and Morgana, did Harry…I mean…Aries live his whole life with that thing stuck in his head?"

Magic wasn't done with Harry/Aries. No, It wasn't even close to done. Hot as lava, Magic flowed through the room. He could feel the burn as it brushed past him. There was a flash of red heat, It seemed to coil in a red swirl before sinking into Aries. Sirius could swear he could hear bones breaking and other wet bodily sounds. Quietly, he thanked whatever-Gods-may-be that his godson was unconscious. This was far beyond the norm, but it was too late to stop now. Sirius hoped The Black Family Magic was cleansing and strengthening its newly adopted heir.

Sirius was frozen in horror. How had Dumbledore left an innocent baby with a connection to Voldemort? There was no way that detail oriented control freak could have missed something this big. The fact that nothing was done to help Harry only solidified the fact that all his boy had been was an expendable pawn in some fucked up game Dumbles was playing.

How much was the old man going to take from them? Over a decade in prison, Harry's childhood and now this? He bit his tongue as he watched Harry's body shudder as the magic rolled through him. What had Dumbledore done to the boy that caused the magic to do this? Something cracked inside—shattered like glass leaving a heart he didn't believe existed anymore aching.

No. More. Hell, never again. This wasn't a line in the sand. No, Sirius would rebuild the Great Wall of China in Great Britain if it meant he could keep that old fucker on the other side of it. Away from his son. As of right now, Harry was no longer on the board. In fact, there was no more Harry. There was no more Sirius. Freedom stretched before him and it gave him a little bit of fucking hope.

He'd give Aries permission to take up the Potter Lordship—the fidelius didn't hide blood ties, it only hid the person's identity—which would allow Aries access to the Potter Vaults and they'd be able to dig up James and Lily's paintings. They'd have limited access to Potter funds until Aries became of age, but that mattered little. The Black Family vaults were enormous and it would be a pleasure to spoil his son rotten until—and after—Aries got complete control of the Potter Inheritance. Sirius would get their finances in order, find a property to live on, get a few elves and hopefully they'd begin to live a life of their own choosing. From now on, he'd do what he'd originally promised Lily and James. He'd take care of their son.

And then, when he was sure Harry would be OK, he'd make Dumbledore and Voldemort pay.

Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore woke up in a cold sweat. He would have sworn the very foundations of Hogwarts were shaking. Something huge had happened. He could feel it in his very bones. White faced, he trembled as a niggling thought pierced his consciousness. He had no plan. He was positive he had an intricate, detailed plan to solve all of the wizarding world's problems before he went to sleep that night. It had been mapped out in his brain for years. Something about horcruxes, secrets and sacrifice—not his sacrifice of course. No. There was a child of prophecy that had to die. Wasn't there? The longer he was awake, the less he seemed to remember. Had he been obliviated? Did someone come in and memory charm him in his sleep?

What in Merlin's name was going on? He shuffled out of bed and hurried for his robes. Perhaps Severus would be able to help him sift through his memories.

Meanwhile, the people of Magical England woke up the next morning collectively disgruntled and confused. For some reason, The Dementors of Azkaban were not at Azkaban and no one at the Ministry knew why. In addition, it seemed that the Aurors were on high alert looking for an escaped convict, but no one could remember who that escape convict was. The Daily Prophet's headline concerning said escape convict was muddled and the photo blurred to the point that no one could recognize if the person was man, fish or fowl. In addition, no past headlines, documents or collaborating information made any sense concerning the issue. In short, no one could figure out what the holy fuck was going on.

There was a small byline in that day's Prophet which indicated Lady Narcissa Malfoy was recovering nicely from the shock of protecting her home and son from an intruder to the Malfoy Manor. Said intruder was unable to be identified and was to be buried nameless in a pauper's grave. What wasn't mentioned was Lady Malfoy wasn't sure how she'd come to be Lady Malfoy and she was positive she didn't know who the father of her child was. It was all very odd.

Remus Lupin woke up in the Black Family's London Home. Hung over and bewildered as to how he got there; he was pretty sure he didn't know anyone from the Black Family who had access to the place, although the house was weirdly familiar. He felt the urge to report something to Albus Dumbledore, but for the life of him he didn't know what that report would be. Before anyone could catch him, he ducked outside and disapparated to The Leaky Cauldron.

Molly Weasley woke up to a feeling of desperation. Suddenly, her two youngest children's futures didn't seem very bright and she had no idea what to do to about it; nor why she was making love potions for her daughter.

Hermione Granger abruptly felt alone and without use. She was sure there was a special person that needed her wisdom and advice, but that someone's name just wouldn't come to mind. In fact, for the life of her, she could not recall spending time with anyone but Ronald Weasley. What was she thinking spending time with that loser? Had she been hit with a Confundus Charm?

And, somewhere, a demonic looking toddler wondered why in the hell he was planning to commandeer the Triwizard's Tournament. Confusion was unbecoming in a Dark Lord, so he shook it off and, in his creepy, childish high-pitched voice, shouted "If I don't have my potions immediately, I'll crucio you Pettigrew."

The only magical person not confused or befuddled this fine morn was Ronald Weasley. He was hungry and did a shambling zombie-like walk to the breakfast table where he filled his gaping maw with food.

So far, Sirius' Epic Plan couldn't be going better.


End file.
